“One man’s vulgarity is another mans lyric” quoth the 1971 U.S. Supreme Court free-speech case. That 1971 free speech ruling is what came to mind when the U.S. Supreme Court delivered their ruling in Matal v. Tam. This Supreme Court battle was an appeal to reverse the USPTO’s decision to deny the trademark application for the mark “The […]
It’s 2017! We’ve got a new President, the same USPTO Director, new and emerging technologies, and we’re on the brink of what economists are calling the 4th Industrial Revolution. What does all of this mean for Intellectual Property Law? A lot actually. We rounded up some of the biggest trends and topics in Intellectual Property to give you […]
The trees are getting their leaves back, everything is in bloom, and if you suffer from allergies, you’re feeling the pollen count rise. Spring is here! For most of us that means it’s time to spring clean the house. But what about your law practice? Law practice spring cleaning means sprucing up processes, knocking things off to-do lists, […]
In the past couple of years, drones and related legal issues surrounding drones have been hot topics. Major companies like Amazon and Google are coming up with innovative ways to use them, drone enthusiasts are forming groups and meetups, and this past holiday season, they were high on many lists. In fact, 1 in 5 people said […]
It’s a better time than ever to sell weed. The past few years have been exciting for marijuana entrepreneurs. Since medical marijuana is now legal in 28 states, cannabusiness has been booming. But being in the marijuana business is not exactly easy street. While it may be lawful in your state to own and run a marijuana […]
Some trademark battles take years. Some decades. The trademark dispute between “The King of Beers” and the “Beer of Kings”? Almost a century. The Budweiser trademark dispute has been going on for 77 years. Budweiser Budvar Brewery was founded in 1895 by citizens of Budweis in the Czech Republic and is state-owned. Anheuser-Busch, a brewery Americans all know […]
Some of the most innovative companies of the 21st century leverage data to make better business decisions and stay ahead of their competition. Unfortunately, unless you work for one of a few giant law firms who have put resources into it, being data driven hasn’t been an option. Solo, small, and medium sized firms make […]
The internet is vast portal of information (and misinformation). On any given day you can pop into YouTube and teach yourself to garden, or knit, or fix your kitchen sink. Thanks to sites like Canva you can DIY design your own marketing materials. But what about DIY legal services? Did you just shudder? We all know they exist […]
The 2016 Summer Olympics was a wake-up call to marketers and business owners who thought they could get in on the Olympic buzz by using the popular Olympic hashtags on social media. They may have joined the conversation, but they probably also found a cease and desist letter or email for using trademarked hashtags on […]
Well intentioned trademark enforcement efforts can sometimes cause unintended collateral damage. Even a victorious trademark fight can be accompanied by a PR nightmare. In some cases, the PR problems can cost more than a legal battle. Brand defense is a noble effort, but not if the PR damage is too great. Take Vail Resorts’ trademark application for the words ‘Park […]